00                            HOUSE BILL NO. 202                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to telecommunications services for certain disabled subscribers; and                                   
02 providing for an effective date."                                                                                       
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 42.05.296 is amended to read:                                                                      
05 Sec. 42.05.296. Telecommunications [TELEPHONE] services for certain                                                 
06 disabled [IMPAIRED] subscribers. (a) The commission shall adopt regulations to                                      
07 require telecommunications [TELEPHONE] utilities to provide service to deaf, hard                                   
08 of hearing, and speech disabled [IMPAIRED] subscribers that permits the subscriber                                  
09 to communicate by one or more telecommunications devices [TELEPHONE] with                                           
10 persons of normal hearing and that makes available reasonable access of all phases of                                   
11 public telecommunications [TELEPHONE] service to deaf, hard of hearing, and                                         
12 speech disabled telecommunications service [IMPAIRED TELEPHONE]                                                   
13 subscribers. The regulations must provide for cost recovery through surcharges added                                    
14 to the [BASIC LOCAL EXCHANGE] rate for each telecommunications service.                                             

01       The commission shall hold hearings to determine the most cost-effective method of                                 
02       providing this service.                                                                                           
03 (b)  A telecommunications service [TELEPHONE] subscriber is eligible for                                            
04 the service required by (a) of this section if the subscriber is certified as deaf, hard of                             
05 hearing, or speech disabled [IMPAIRED] by a licensed physician, a speech-language                                   
06 pathologist licensed under AS 08.11, an audiologist, or the Department of Health and                                    
07 Social Services or if the subscriber is an organization representing the deaf, hard of                                  
08       hearing, or speech disabled [IMPAIRED] as determined by the commission.                                       
09    * Sec. 2. This Act takes effect July 1, 2017.